In conventional usage in door mounted dead bolt construction the so called backset measurement is the distance from the edge of the door in which the bolt is mounted to the transverse axis about which the bolt operator, usually a cylinder drum bar, rotates for extending and retracting the bolt. Backset is measured perpendicularly from the door edge. Backset has for the most part been standardized by theindustry. Two prevailing measurements for backset are 2 and 3/8 inches and 2 and 3/4 inches. In the past, most manufacturers of dead bolt constructions have satisfied the demand for the two alternative backset positions by producing and marketing two different and distinctive models of bolt construction. There is a distinct need in the industry for a dead bolt construction which provides the alternate backset selection without the need for substituting parts and/or requiring disassembling the dead bolt mechanism or the use of special shaped dead bolts. Due to the number of non-expert installers in the field, it is necessary that the selection of backset be simple, reliable and easy-to-accomplish without the need for substitute parts or complicated assembly and reassembly of interconnected parts.